Get ready to party for International Accounting Day

It may not be widely recognised, but readers are probably aware that accountants know how to have fun. In fact, there’s even an “International Accounting Day” every year — and naturally it’s being held this year on the best day of the week, this coming Saturday.

There is some variation on the dates on which all things accounting is celebrated, but generally in most parts of the globe, November 10 is accepted as being the official day. The celebration even has its own Facebook page.

BackgroundIn 1972 in the USA city of San Diego, the local CPA branch held “Accounting Career Day” to try to interest younger citizens in taking up a career in the profession, and by 1976 other organisations in related fields were invited to participate. This led to a name change to Accounting Day, with other cities and regions taking up the idea.

Why November 10? That’s the date when Italian Luca Bartolomeo de Pacioli (often described as the father of accounting) in 1494 published his Summa de arithmetica, geometria, proportioni et proportionalita (which translates as “everything about arithmetic, geometry and proportion”).

Fun factsReaders should take heart from the fact that surveys have shown that 78% of Australians love their accountant.

Sir Arthur Fadden was the Prime Minister of Australia for only a short stint (29 August to 7 October 1941), but he was the first successful accountant with offices in Brisbane and Townsville for more than a decade before being elected to local office. After The Lodge however, his political career did continue in various capacities, as well as his accounting skills. He was Treasurer twice in a span of 20 years.

Edwin Flack was the first Australian to compete and win at the 1896 Athens Olympics, and he was an accountant by trade who was working for PriceWaterhouse. Flack would later return to his father’s firm in Melbourne where he worked the rest of his life.

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